Jack and Ji- I Mean Gwen- Went Up The Hill
by ossumpossum
Summary: In ghost machine, Gwen looks back on her life with Rhys. What would have happened if what she saw wasn't as happy?
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**Yay! I'm so excited to finally post a story.

Disclaimer: Not my sandbox, just my sandcastle.

* * *

She sat down on the couch and pulled the small metal contraption from her bag, just holding it in her hands for a moment, trying to talk herself out of this. No. She needed to do this. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and pressed it.

It was night time. She and Rhys must be in the bedroom. She glanced at the calendar, then the clock, and realized what was about to happen. Five, four, three, two, one. She watches herself storm out of their bedroom, shouting, "Maybe I'll find someone else's bed to sleep in, then!" It was the first night she and Rhys had shared the apartment, and he had woken her up in the middle of the night, telling her that she snored and her breath smelled bad. She pressed the button.

This one was the first time she had pretended to be asleep when Rhys came home, because she didn't want to talk to him. He had proceeded to wake her up and tried to get into her pants. She pressed the button again.

It was the time they'd played naked hide and seek. Gwen had rather enjoyed it, but Rhys seemed to prefer his bedtime activities less... adventurous. She watched for a while before pressing the button again.

She recognized when she was immediatly. It was the first time she had come home from work and lied, telling him she was fine instead of telling him about the young girl who's body she had found. She pressed the button again, and again, and again. Some of the memories were funny, or sweet, but most were filled with anger and sadness. And while she was sitting there, watching her life go by, she realized that even though she loved Rhys, she wasn't really happy with him, and that he would probably be happier with someone else. Maybe if she'd never joined Torchwood, she'd have been content with him, but if they kept going the way they were, they'd end up resenting each other.

Just then, Rhys walked in the door. "'Ello."

"I thought you were out with your mates?" She asked, slipping the device into her purse.

"Well, I was, but then me and Eddie got into a shouting match, so I came home."

Part of her wished he had said he came home for her, but the rest of her was glad he hadn't, because that would've made what had to happen next harder. "Rhys, this isn't working."

"What's not working?" he asked carelessly.

"Us."

"Oh." His demeanor changed instantly. "Well, maybe if you spent more time with me and less at Torchwood-"

She interupted him. "My job isn't the problem, and we both know it. My job just made our problems more visible."

"Like the fact that you don't put any effort into our relationship?" he interjected. He knew instantly that he had said the wrong thing.

She stood up and took a step towards him. "No effort? No bloody effort?! What about when I gave up that job offer in London as Chief Inspector, so I could be with you?! Those years I spent working part time so I'd have more time to spend with you?! Then going back to full time because you said we needed the money?! Well, you weren't bloody worth it! Not one second!" she shouted at him.

His face turned red with rage, and he glowered at her. She blinked. He struck her.

She stumbled back a few steps, blinking furiously, trying to process the fact that Rhys had hit her.

"Gwen, I'm so sorry, I-"

She grabbed her purse and ran.

Outside the apartment building, Gwen hailed a cab, slid in, and automatically rattled off the address for the Torchwood hub.

o0oOo0o

Jack was instantly alert when he heard the main entrance of the hub activate. He relaxed when he recognized the footsteps as Gwen's.

...And tensed again when he saw her face, streaked with tears, a bruise forming around her left eye.

* * *

R & R People! Or I will take away your internet fezzes.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Sorry, I know it's been a while since I updated. I had a computer malfunction, and I am currently writing this on an iPhone, so sorry for any mistakes.

Disclaimer: I did not have sexual relations with that woman.

* * *

_Jack was instantly alert when he heard the main entrance of the hub activate. He relaxed when he recognized the footsteps as Gwen's._

_...And tensed again when he saw her face, streaked with tears, a bruise forming around her left eye._

"Gwen!" he walked swiftly towards her, "What happened?"

She waved her hand in a kind of non-comital gesture. "Jack," -he could tell she was on the verge of sobbing- "Could I sleep on the couch here? Just for tonight," she added hastily.

Of course she could! But why would she want to, unless... "Gwen," he said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Did. Rhys. Hit you."

She managed a small nod.

He growled. If Gwen didn't need someone here right now... Well, Rhys should be thanking his lucky stars. He led Gwen gently to sit on the couch. "I'll be back in a sec, you need an icepack."

She nodded.

He walked to the freezer and back as swiftly as he could. He sat down next to Gwen, used one arm to hold the ice pack gently against her black eye, and wrapped the other around her waist, pulling her close to him. He held her for what could have been five minutes or four hours, just letting her sob into his chest.

Once she seemed to be over the worst of it, he asked softly "Do you want to talk about it?"

She seemed to think about for a moment, then sat up, wiped her eyes, and started talking. "When I went home, and Rhys wasn't there, I sat down on the couch and thought about our relationship, and I realized, I wasn't happy with him. I-I decided to break up with him. When he came home, I told him that our relationship wasn't working. We got into a fight. He said I never put any effort into our relationship, and I told him he wasn't worth any effort, and then-" she was cut off by her own sob. "And then he hit me." She burrowed her face into the crook of his neck.

After another bout of crying, she slipped into a peaceful slumber in Jack's arms. He realized she was asleep almost instantly. He repositioned the arm around her waist to support her head, and slipped his other arm beneath her knees before gently standing up, bringing her with him. She unconsciously wrapped her arms around his neck, her head lolling against his chest. He walked slowly across the room, doing his best not to jostle her. He went to his office, through the door in the corner, and into his private quarters. He tried to deposit Gwen on the rarely used bed, but when he tried to pull away, she tightened her hold on him, and he knew if he continued to try to extrapolate himself from her, he'd wake her up. So, he climbed in beside Gwen, curling around her somewhat protectively. That night he slept for the first time in years.

* * *

**AN: **Sorry, I know it's short. Hopefully, the next chapter will be longer. If you review, leave an opinion about if you would rather short chapters and quicker updates, or long chapters and slow updates.

This is a shout out to my lovely reviewers; _SherryBirkinGirl_, _emma_, and _featherkitten, _thank you so much for taking the time to review. I really appreciate it.


End file.
